a rukawa's story
by mustlove11
Summary: A SAD RUKAWA HISTORY.how love, friendship and hope are lost in one day. rechecked the spelling and grammar. but mostly just the spelling, i is no grammar. hahahahaha.........


Hello, my name is Hope. I used to be called Tamara but that is another story for another day. I am what you called a guardian angel; you know the one that always look after you no matter what. That's me, I am a guardian angel but with slight difference as I am specialize in hope (keeping it alive, giving people one etc...) hence the name. The story I am going to tell today is actually the story of an old friend of mine, way before I even become a guardian angel. Most of you know him as the ice prince, a cold and detach person, that's my rukawa. He wasn't always like that you know. Before reality come crashing by, he was the sweetest and warmest person I know. And that is the rukawa I remember, I love….

Rukawa kaede (age 7, in the park)

"Honey, don't go too far okay." Mrs. Rukawa called out to his only son before continuing her conversation with another mother.

"Yes mum!" the little rukawa kaede called back to his mother.

Rukawa kaede is the epitome of a perfect child. He is a polite, nice and well mannered boy. Excel in his study and played the star striker of his school football/soccer team. Popular with his friends, though there were none that he considered as close. Parents and teachers simply adore this cute little boy. But even with all that going on for him, he always knew that something was missing from his life, something important like his destiny or things as such. He knew that someday, somehow and someone will guide him to this something and he will be complete. And on this fateful day, such event that he had been dreaming about will happen.

"hey, watch out!" a voice out of nowhere snapped rukawa from his deep thought and in split second a n orange ball come hurdling towards him, knock him in the head and he fell flat on the ground.

"Oh, are you hurt? Oh I am so sorry….. Didn't mean to hit you with the ball. I was just playing basketball and it slip my hand, I've tried to warn you but it was too late," he tried to make out the face of the girl who apparently the one who hit him with the ball but the glare from the sun and the force from the ball had impaired his vision. 'I think I should just shut up and help you.'

"That would be great." Rukawa answered sarcastically, accepting her hand to get up.

'Again I am so sorry.' the girl apologizes again.

She was 10cm taller than him with a short pixie black hair and big eyes of the same color. She was what rukawa would rate as a cute girl but not that he cared since he was still 7. The only thing that rukawa had a problem with her is that she was taller but truthfully (and of course painfully to admit this) he was actually shorter than her.

"Why are staring at me like that?" she questioned him. Only then rukawa realize that he had been staring her for full 5 minutes which he had never done with anyone before. He doesn't know why but this girl intrigued him in a different but somehow very familiar way.

"Nothing it's just that... ouch..." as he tried to touch the bump on his head caused by the ball.

"Oh no, you are hurt do you want me to call your mother or something?" she wore a worried look.

"No it's just a little bump; I'm fine really I am." He assured her.

"Again I am so sorry, I was just playing basketball and…" she trailed off talking.

" so that's what this is, a basketball," as he hold the orange ball before returning it to the short haired girl, "I thought it was some kind of throw ball."

"Are you seriously said that you never see a basketball before." Suddenly sounding very serious. Dead serious. Well as dead serious a 7 year old girl with a pig tail could manage.

"No why?" rukawa was obviously confuse by the change in her attitude.

"Ugh... it's like the best sport there is in the world and you don't even know what the ball looks like." She burst out, "I think I know why you don't know, it's because you're short isn't it? That explain it all, basketball is only for tall people.'

"Hey, I have you know that I am good with every sport I do." Insulted at her jibe on his height or more correctly the lack of it.

"Yes you are good in everything except for things where height does matter." She retort.

"Okay, then I challenge you, a basketball match one on one." He dared her.

"Hey, I don't just accept challenge from a newbie and a short one at that without something for me in the end."

"okay then lets make a deal if I win ill treat you for an ice cream if you lose you'll treat me, deal?" he hold out his hand .

"Okay deal," she accepts the bet by shaking his hand, "just so you know I only eat vanilla ice cream."

"Hey you haven't won yet."

"And the key word here is YET, but I will I promise you that newbie." She smiled dribbling the ball and took a shot at the basket and scored.

"that's how you play basketball, two point for every ball you get in the basket and you can only move the ball around by dribbling it and no shoving or pushing, get it?" rukawa listen intently to her instruction on how to play, " okay I'll let you take the first shot since you are a newbie and all."

Rukawa took the ball from her hand and took his first shot ever. The feeling was exhilarating, to see the ball flying towards the basket, everything seems to slow down. And just by an inch the ball miss its target. It was the best feeling ever, like being a superman. He never felt that way before not even with football.

"Wow! Nice first try, you're a natural but the thing is I will still beat you." She exclaimed

"Well, we will se about that." He replied with burning fire clearly heard in his voice.

(Few minutes later)

Huh...huh... huh…mom… hushes….

The loud sounds of rukawa's breath fill the court. He was lying flat on the ground completely tired after the intense game. 5-3, with him scoring three.

"Huh…hmm… you are really good, are you sure you never played before?" breathed the girl also tire from the game though not as tired as rukawa is.

"No" he replied proudly.

They laughed together about nothing before being interrupted by a teenage boy.

"Hagu san your mother is here." He said

"Okay tell her I'll be there in a minute," she told the older boy, "by the way you can call me hagu."

"You can call me rukawa!" he yelled at hagu who is already running towards the parking lot.

"Okay ruka-chan I'll be seeing you tomorrow and I want my ice cream!" she screamed back at him waving her hand.

Rukawa age 11,

Ever since that day, rukawa and hagu become friends bonded together by their passion for basketball and their love for each other. Rukawa learn everything he could about basketball and life from hagu and hagu teach everything she knows about basketball and life to him. And everyday, they would meet at least once on the basketball court situated between his and her house and they would play a game or two, shared few laughs and sometimes few tears. And always at the end of the day, the loser of the day would treat the winner for an ice cream. Vanilla for her and chocolate for him. They have become closer than friends; they were like two soul mate finally found each other after all these years and become one. Though no words are said about the love they shared but there is no need for it as they already know and understand.

(Saturday evening, the basketball court)

He was late again! Hagu's going to kill him. This is the fifth time this week he was late for their daily matches at the basketball court and he promised to hagu on his fourth lateness that he would be at least on time for their match today. But it is not like he was doing it purposely like he did the last fourth. This time his lateness was not due to his own fault, but the tryouts was going on longer than he thought it would plus his bicycle is suffering a chronic rust on the chain so again he restate that it was not his fault. He didn't go out frolicking with girls like he did the last four time. He hoped hagu would believe in him because he didn't think that his head could take another blow from hagu's wrath.

"You are late again!" a stern voice greeted him at the basketball court with a blow to his head as a welcome.

"Ouch… do you have to hit me everyday? Wait don't answer that, of course you have to hit me everyday because then others will receive the same treatment and that will blow your cover as a sweet girl and show you as the bloodthirsty graceless girl you are." Rukawa philosophize risking another hit to the head from hagu.

"Ugh... how dare you call me graceless? I am the most graceful sweet and innocent girl that you would ever encounter, and to my defense I hit you everyday because you're late everyday, try to be early for once and see if I hit you then?" dared hagu.

"Okay you win," rukawa surrendered, he knew better than to argue with hagu, famous for her obsession with winnings, "beside I have a good news to tell you, you are looking at the star of our school basketball team and the future MVP of Kanagawa middle school."

"Wow, that's great." Ignoring rukawa's comment bout himself.

"I know, how about you? Did you manage to get on the team? Duhh... of course you did..." he trailed off before being interrupted by hagu.

"I didn't try out for the school basketball female team." She said gloomily.

"Why not? You are quite good you should have made the cut." Rukawa gave her a confuse look.

"Hey! I am not just quite good I'm great," she retaliate, "but you know what's the point of playing the second rated sport In Japan, its hard just to want to play basketball with few courts around but at least you boys can continue to play to high school and if you are that good you can even play in college and professionally, for us girls its middle school then that's it, after that its nothing. It's just a waste of time, I rather play with you here everyday than burning my calories playing for the school team."

"that's true…" he agreed, as even in USA, the country of basketball, the prospective of female basketball player is very slim, "but you shouldn't give up maybe you could try put for the boys team, god know that you are way better than most of the guys on my team anyway."

"Why? Do you think that they would just let a girl join an all male team, please I have a better chance of getting struck by lightning twice than them letting me join, beside I don't think I would enjoy fighting for my civil rights that much because then would be fighting my winning rights against you?" she joked, "lets just play ball okay."

"Okay but you have to promise me you'll try out because then I won't be surrounded by bunch of idiots." He said as he shot the ball across the court and it went straight into the basket, "yes!"

"Okay father I would do that, can we now please play basketball?" She asked and moments later the old match between rukawa and hagu went on.

(About half an hour later.)

"Come on little ruka, don't be such a sore loser, it was a close match, 5-0 is not such a bad score when you're up against a phenomenal player like me." Petting the top of rukawa's head gently, laughing at her friend.

"Hey! That's not fair, I was tired, I did go to the basketball tryout s, _remember."_ shot rukawa back, "unlike someone else I know.'

"Hey I precisely remember _someone _said that a great player would still play great even if they are exhausted." She remind him of the day when she lost the g\match to him and try to use tired as an excuse.

"Okay, okay you win _again," _he smiled holding his hand out to her but with no response from hagu.

"Ruka-chan." She finally uttered after a minute of awkward silence, "I have a bad feeling."

" from the moment I woke up, I have this nagging feeling all day," she continued putting her hand on her chest "that's why I didn't go on the tryouts today, this bad feeling kept hovering over me, it just wont go away no matter what I do, its like something bad is going to happen."

"It's probably nothing, don't think about it too much, it'll pass," he smiled while taking her by the hand to the sidewalk in front of the court, "come on lets have some ice cream my treat remember."

"I guess so," she smiled slightly watching rukawa carrying her to the sidewalk.

"Ruka-chan, _I love you_." She said suddenly with all seriousness, "hmm… you know that _right_? I know I never said it before and this may come as surprise to you but _I love you_ and I mean it."

"It's not a surprise hagu-chan, _I love you_ _too_," he replied gently while smiling warmly at her, "come on lets just go."

Then he ran to the road to cross it waving at her, "hurry if not I am going to eat your ice cream."

"Hey, wait for me." She laughed as she ran towards him.

And without warning, a lost controlled van was coming towards rukawa fast threatening to run him over. Seeing this, without thinking twice, in that split second she push him out of the way causing her to be hit by the van instead.

"Hagu, hagu, answer me hagu." rukawa rush towards the bleeding hagu shaking her unconscious body in attempt to revive her and his voice shaken by the accident, "wake up."

"Ruka, it's that you?" she said slowly after regaining her consciousness.

"Yes…. It's me… (Breathing) don't worry... you're... going to be okay." Holding her closer to him not wanting to let her go, "you're going to be okay….. You will get up and you will play basketball on our team and you're going to be great and become the first international female professional basketball player from Japan and I'll be there with you."

"(Coughing…) of course ... I will... ah…. This is... me you're talking about." She said in a struggle, "but I am soo tired ruka-chan, I want to go to sleep." Her breathing become shallow and her eyes began to droop.

"No don't…. don't fall asleep okay, I still have many things to tell you, I need you, you can't left me alone." His voice broke in pain

"Who said anything about leaving you I will always be here beside you no matter what, I will always look after you and you will see me every time you close your eyes… I_ promise." _She breathes her last word.

"Hagu... hagu … _haguro Tamara_… no… don't leave me…_Tamara_ _I love you_." His cry fills the street with his grief.

(Now)

From that day on rukawa kaede is a change person. He became cold and pulls himself away from everyone. He abandoned everything that used to matter to him: school, friends, family and even _hope_. Everything in his life died also when she died and he has absolutely nothing that he cared about anymore except for basketball. It was the only thing she left him when she died and because of that the only purpose in his life is basketball and only basketball: to become the best in the world. And every time he close his eyes he sees her smiling waiting for him, just like _she promised, _that's why he love to sleep so much because only then he could see he again. And she kept her promise, she never really left him, she was always there beside him and looking after him, just like _she promised. Just like I promised……._

**The end.**


End file.
